sinclair_furie

I got into Berkeley for grad school! \o/!

Apparently, I think monetary policy is super exciting. I even went to Macroeconomics lecture for the second time in my life. It was pretty cool.

Is this normal? Possibly I'm in the wrong field. :/

edit:
Somewhat but not really related- you know the tax system is too complicated when politicians AND lawyers can't do it correctly. PALIN TAX FAIL.

So, this post is going to consist of an awesome thing my math lecturer said today. There are two versions of the introduction- one for people who have knowledge of Linear Algebra, and one for those who don't. (Incidentally, this is the lecturer that claims he was "was almost as adorable [at the age of three] as I am now, hard as that may be to believe.")

Math Heavy Intro:
So we're learning about infinite dimensional vector spaces in linear algebra (as opposed to finite dimension vector spaces like lines and planes through the origin), and one example that came up in class was the vector space of all real functions defined on x=0 to x=1 such that f(0)=f(1)=0. We defined f(x).g(x) as the integral of f(x)g(x) over this interval, and then started talking about how the dot product is only zero if f(x) is zero, but then came up with a counterexample of f(x)=0 except for at a single point, where it was non-zero. At this point we decided to exclude functions with point discontinuities.

De-Mathed Intro:
We're doing some math-y stuff in Linear Algebra. We defined some cool properties for equations that also exist for matrices, and were happy when they worked, but then found weird counter examples. They made us sad.

The Steven Johnson Explanation of this sad fact:

So this is the problem with infinite-dimensional vector spaces. They work fine as long as you're reasonable and have well behaved functions, but you can always construct perverse counterexamples for which they don't work.  These never come up in real life, but this is what mathematicians like to do, come up with these weird contrived examples.

Well, in this class we're not going to be perverse. We're going to follow the Google model: Don't be evil.

He is the greatest thing EVER.

Also, you should look at the links. They are filled with silly pictures of him.

Check us out, we're so badass. Seriously. MIT rituals: endangering helpful citizens since 1861.

My mother bought some huge book from published by Harvard Press about the history of artistic theories or something today. Fahad complained that it was expensive. The following conversation ensued:

Sharmin: Why did you buy that book in particular?
Mom: My thesis adviser told me to get it. I need it for research.
Sharmin: It should be in the library.
Fahad: If you went to Yale, you would find ancient manuscripts in the library.
Sharmin: [pause followed hysterical laughter]
Fahad: I took a virtual tour of Yale today.

I think Fahad still hasn't gotten over the fact that he isn't applying to Dartmouth.

GAHH PACKING IS SO DUSTY. Also, I really don't want to leave Cambridge. Weak.

From Taboo yesterday:

Adam Groce: Uh, the fourth dimension.
Linda/Michelle: ...Time.
Adam: Ok, now when you give some to all your friends.
Michelle: Timeshare!
Linda: That was special.
Me: [helpless laugher]

Another amazing one was Cormac with the clue "somnambulism" for the word sleepwalk. Or describing kick boxing as a pugilist oriental sport.

The answer to the subject line, btw, is "fortune cookie."

Class in two days! Ah!
Um, the SuperBowl! They are watching it! Only, Kathy is asleep, Jose is fixing his bike and I'm eating grapes. Grapes, I tell you, they are the very grapes of WRATH.
Oh, I read Equus,by Peter Shaffer, which is rather amusing. I think it's meant to be watched- it would probably be pretty powerful. However, Harry Potter is in it and also, he will be naked.
Um, also read Freakonomics, which is awesome, and on Goldstein's recommendation am following it up with The Armchair Economist, which is also interesting though slightly more technical.
Oh, and I read You Are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett, which was a very good albeit ridiculously depressing set of short stories on the recommendation of trinityofone. Leaves you feeling kind of empty afterwards, but totally worth it.
And since I seem to be doing a general A&E review, I have watched The Departed (most aptly titled movie EVER) and The Queen, both of which I enjoyed quite a lot. I also watched Little Miss Sunshine, which I didn't like because it was like this huge indie movie gimmick written specifically for its target audience. But lots of people like it, so I suppose you have to judge for yourself.

So, my new scientific calculator is the most gratuitous thing ever. I love it already.
Also, hurray for not failing Chem because I can't use TI scientific calculators!

Edit: In other geek news, I just had a math lecture about Green's Theorem for flux. Two things: (1) Curl and divergence make so much more sense when you think of them as del cross F and del dot F, and (2) Maxwell's equations MAKE INFINITELY MORE SENSE in terms of curl and divergence. Seriously. It's kind of blowing my mind how my physics and math class have suddenly decided to converge and thus result in Maxwell's equations ACTUALLY MAKING SENSE.
Erm, for those of you who understood like, none of that, wait till you take Multivariable Calc and E&M, and then you will see what I mean and it will BLOW YOU AWAY.
Edit, again: Dude, my brother has a Facebook. <3

I hate scientific calculators. Die, 5.112, die! It's a good thing that exam was easy because I spent probably about half of it trying to figure out WHY you put the negative sign AFTER a number to indicate it is less than zero.
Also, I'm positive my English teacher here actually reads my papers and has things to say, which is just so ridiculously mindblowing.

For all you non MIT peeps...
Behold, evidence, IN PICTURE FORM, that it is the most awesome ever.
Seriously, a kilogram of sodium in the Charles River.